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GUTTER CLEANING
Gutter cleaning for Ham Lake and the north metro
Gutters cleared by hand, flushed to confirm the water runs, and every bag of debris hauled away.
Glass House clears gutters by hand, by blowing them out or by flushing them, whichever suits your gutters on the day. Every gutter and downspout is then flushed to confirm the water runs, the debris is bagged and hauled away, and before and after photos are attached to your receipt.
Minnesota's sharp seasonal swings fill gutters faster than in most of the country, so most north metro homes need cleaning every spring and fall, and gutters are usually packed again six months later. A gutter that cannot drain sends water over the edge, down the siding and toward the foundation.
A SECOND SET OF EYES
Any damage we notice on your roof, gutters or fascia is photographed, noted and shown to you.
★ Rated 4.9 on Google · 44 reviews
Insured to $2M
Owner-operated
Based in Ham Lake
WHY IT MATTERS HERE
Your gutters carry more water than most people expect
39,000
gallons of rain, roughly, run off a 2,000 sq ft roof in an average Twin Cities year, and all of it passes through the gutters.
623
gallons come off every 1,000 sq ft of roof in a single 1-inch rain.
Oct 19
is the median date of the first 28°F night at MSP. Wet leaves left in a gutter can freeze into a solid plug.
Twice
a year, in spring and fall, is what most north metro homes need. Six months after a cleaning, most gutters are packed again.
Sources: Climate of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, NOAA 1991–2020 normals (31.62 inches a year); USGS Water Science School (1 inch of rain on 1 acre is about 27,154 gallons); Minnesota DNR State Climatology Office, Twin Cities median frost dates.
WHEN GUTTERS CANNOT FLOW
What a clogged gutter costs your home
Overflow and staining
When a gutter cannot drain, rain spills over the front edge and runs down the siding. It streaks and stains whatever it lands on, including the foundation and the walkways below, and a wall that is soaked again and again stays damp enough for algae and mildew to take hold.
Rot at the roof edge
Wet debris holds moisture against the fascia, the board the gutter is mounted to, and against the edge of the roof. That constant dampness invites rot and puts stress on the roof, and eaves that sit wet give algae and moss a head start on the shingles above.
A breeding ground for insects
A packed gutter holds standing water and decaying leaves along the full length of the roofline, which makes it a perfect breeding ground for insects. Because most homeowners rarely see their own gutters, the problem usually grows unnoticed until the gutters are cleared.
Ice dams in winter
Wet debris left in a gutter can freeze into a solid plug. Snowmelt then backs up under the shingles at the eave and refreezes, which is how an ice dam forms, and a gutter problem becomes a roof and ceiling problem. Ice dams also have causes that no gutter cleaning addresses, such as insulation and ventilation.
HOW WE CLEAN GUTTERS
One standard, with the method matched to each gutter
01
Clear it the right way
Packed leaves and needles come out by hand, and a blower or a flush handles the rest when that is the better tool that day. The choice depends on what is in the gutter, how it is built and whether it has guards.
Three things never vary: your gutters end up flowing, your walkways end up clean, and the debris leaves with us.
GUTTER GUARDS: THE HONEST ANSWER
Gutters with guards can be cleaned with a blowout or a flush, but we guarantee only the gutter, not the guard. Around here, guards pack with pine needles that must be picked out by hand, and in our experience most guards make cleaning harder. We never remove, install or lift guards.
02
Clean every surface below
Walkways, patios, decks, driveways and every other surface people walk on are left free of debris. Whatever falls during the work is collected along with what comes out of the gutters, so nothing is left behind in the yard.
03
Bag it and haul it away
All debris is bagged and hauled away with us. It does not go into your yard or your trash bin, so there is nothing left for you to carry off or dispose of after the visit.
04
Flush gutters and downspouts
Water is run through every gutter and downspout to confirm it flows. If water does not come out the bottom of a downspout, there is a blockage inside. We clear what we can reach, and because we never take downspouts or gutter hardware apart, a deeper clog is located and reported to you.
05
Photos and a damage report
Before and after photos are attached to your receipt. Most homeowners never climb up to see their own gutters or roof, so anything we notice while we are up there, from a loose hanger to damaged fascia, is documented and shown to you.
BEFORE AND AFTER
Cleared, flushed and flowing
Real photos from north metro gutter jobs. Every gutter cleaning receives photos like these, attached to your receipt.
BEFORE
Oak leaves packed along the gutter line, the classic north metro fall clog.
AFTER
Cleared by hand, flushed and flowing, with the debris bagged and hauled away.
IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
Cleaning, brightening, or a different problem
Gutter problems look alike from the ground, but each has a different fix. This table matches what you see to what it usually is and the service that addresses it.
WHAT YOU SEE
WHAT IT USUALLY IS
WHAT FIXES IT
Leaves, needles and packed debris inside the trough
Debris blocking the flow
Gutter cleaning
Water pouring over the front edge in a rain
A clog in the gutter or a downspout
Gutter cleaning, with downspouts flushed
Black vertical streaks on the outside face
Tiger stripes: shingle carbon bonded to oxidized aluminum
Gutter brightening, a separate service
A chalky grey film on the aluminum
Oxidation: the metal's surface breaking down
Oxidation removal
Sagging runs, leaking seams or loose hangers
Hardware or installation problems
A gutter installer; we photograph it for you
Icicles and ice ridges at the eaves
An ice dam forming
Steam ice dam removal in winter
HOW PRICING WORKS
Priced by your home, confirmed before we start
YOUR GUTTER SERVICE, AT A GLANCE
QUOTE FIRST
Gutter cleaning
From $225
Cleared, flushed, downspouts checked and debris hauled away
Service Plan member on a Preferred day
From $157.50
25% member rate, plus 5% on a Preferred day
Gutter brightening
From $200
Tiger stripes removed from the outside face
Brightening Guarantee
No charge
If the stripes do not come off, there is no charge
Before and after photos
Included
Attached to your receipt when the job is done
BY HOME SIZE
Home size
Gutter cleaning
Gutter brightening
Up to 2,000 sq ft
$225
$200
2,001–3,000 sq ft
$350
$350
3,001–4,000 sq ft
$475
$500
4,001–5,000 sq ft
$600
Priced by Carson
5,001–6,000 sq ft
$750
Priced by Carson
Over 6,000 sq ft
Priced by Carson
Priced by Carson
Priced by the size of your home
From $225
Starting at $225. Typically $225–$475 for homes up to 4,000 sq ft, and $600–$750 up to 6,000 sq ft. Larger homes are priced by Carson.
Gutter brightening starts at $200. Carson confirms the exact price before any work starts.
WAYS TO SAVE
Fall Promo, through November 30
Free gutter cleaning with a house washing or a roof washing, applied automatically. One offer per quote, so it does not combine with the flash sale; you get the bigger one.
Service Plan members
25% off any other work, holiday lighting included
Preferred day
Another 5% off on top of any other saving, up to 25% in all
Veterans
10% off any service
Seniors 65 and older
$50 off
Same-day neighbors
15% off for both households
Three projects together
10% off
Discounts don't combine — you receive whichever single saving is largest. Then a Preferred day can take another 5% off, up to 25% in all (Service Plan members aren't capped).
This season’s flash sale is shown at the foot of every page.
GUARANTEES
What backs the work, word for word
These are printed word for word on your quote, your work order and your invoice.
ON: GUTTER CLEANING
Flow Guarantee
All gutters and downspouts will flow by the end of service, guaranteed. The one exception is a downspout packed underground or one that would have to be taken apart — we never take them apart — which we show you and quote separately.
ON: GUTTER CLEANING
Satisfaction Guarantee
If we are not satisfied with the outcome of your window cleaning, gutter cleaning, house washing, or roof washing, you will not be charged.
ON: GUTTER BRIGHTENING
Brightening Guarantee
If the stripes do not come off, there is no charge.
ON: GUTTER CLEANING AND GUTTER BRIGHTENING
Workmanship Standard
If we miss an area or leave normal cleanable residue, tell us and we'll re-clean or touch it up. Our guarantees cover the cleaning result — not repairs, replacements, permanent stains, or conditions that can't be safely corrected through cleaning.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
What gutter cleaning includes, and what it does not
Gutter cleaning empties the inside of the gutter and confirms the water runs. These lists show exactly where the service starts and stops.
INCLUDED
In every gutter cleaning
• Cleared by hand, blown out or flushed, whichever suits the gutter
• Every gutter and downspout flushed to confirm it flows
• Reachable downspout clogs cleared, and deeper ones reported
• Gutters with guards cleaned with a blowout or a flush
• Walkways, patios and decks left free of debris
• Debris bagged and hauled away with us
• Before and after photos, with notes on anything we notice
NOT INCLUDED
Outside a gutter cleaning
• Repairs, re-pitching, sealing leaks or new hangers
• Taking downspouts or gutter hardware apart
• Removing, installing or lifting gutter guards
• Debris packed into the guards themselves
• Tiger stripes on the face, removed by gutter brightening
• Underground drain repair and heat cable work
EQUIPMENT AND METHODS
The right method for that gutter, that day
Packed debris comes out by hand, and a blower or a flush handles the rest when that is the better tool that day. Water from your outside spigot is then run through every gutter and downspout to confirm it flows. Every ladder carries padded standoffs that hold it off the gutter, and levelers for soft ground. Gutter brightening, described below, is a separate service with its own chemistry and a carbon fiber pole that works from the ground.
SAFETY AND CARE
Safe on your roofline, and clean below it
Gutter work happens at the edge of your roof, so the way we set up matters as much as the way we clean.
LADDERS
Weight kept off your gutters
A standoff holds the ladder away from the gutter itself, so the trough we came to clean is never crushed or dented. Padded ends protect the fascia and siding, levelers keep the base steady on soft ground, and every ladder is set at a 4 to 1 angle and tied off above two stories.
FOOTING
Dry footing, or a new date
Nobody walks on wet shingles, and a roof that is too steep or too wet to work safely ends the work for that day. The visit is rescheduled instead, and rescheduling for weather is always free and never counts as a cancellation.
WASPS
Active nests stop work
Wasp and hornet nests are often found under the eaves, right beside the gutter line. An active nest makes that section unsafe to clean, so we skip it, finish everything else and tell you exactly what was left. Our policies ask homeowners to have nests treated before we arrive.
FAMILY
Kids and pets are welcome
Children and pets are welcome at home during the visit, and there is no need to keep them inside. The one request is that they stay clear of the ladders and the work area, so the work can continue safely and without interruption.
THE OWNER
Why Carson looks past the leaves
Glass House is owned and run by Carson Brenny, with no crews, subcontractors or handoffs. He grew up in Ham Lake, went to Blaine High School and has worked full-time in exterior cleaning since 2020. He quotes your gutters, cleans them himself and walks the finished job with you.
Gutters quietly protect the siding, the foundation and the landscaping, and when they fail it shows up as stained walls, soggy beds and water where it does not belong. Carson cleans each gutter with the care he would give his own home, because the homes he works on belong to his neighbors.
IN CARSON'S WORDS
“It's my neighbors' homes: their biggest investment, one of the places they spend the most time, and where the people they care about most live. It's something everyone should enjoy, and I believe that.”
Carson Brenny, owner
✓
Downspouts flushed to confirm they flow
✓
Debris bagged and hauled away
✓
Before and after photos with every job
GUTTER BRIGHTENING
Tiger stripes come off, or you do not pay
The black streaks on the face of a gutter are not mold or dirt. Rain running off asphalt shingles carries carbon residue that bonds to the gutter's oxidized aluminum, and house wash chemistry does not break that bond.
How brightening is done
A dedicated degreaser is applied along the gutter face and lightly brushed with carbon fiber poles that reach 60 feet, so the whole gutter line is worked from the ground. The degreaser is left to dwell, then rinsed off at the same low pressure we use for house washing.
The Brightening Guarantee
If the stripes do not come off, there is no charge. Brightening is quoted separately from gutter cleaning, and Carson confirms the price before any work starts, so the risk in trying it is ours rather than yours.
Never steel wool
Steel wool, scouring pads and other abrasives are never used on a gutter. They take off the factory finish, and the bare aluminum underneath then oxidizes faster than it did before it was touched. Chemistry and a soft brush do this job without harming the finish.
Two separate services
Gutter cleaning empties the inside of the gutter so water can flow. Brightening restores the outside face that everyone sees from the street. Either can be booked without the other, and together they take care of the whole gutter, inside and out.
MINNESOTA TIMING
When to clean your gutters
SPRING
Clear the winter
Seeds, blossoms and everything that sat under the snow all winter come out. Spring is the natural start of the gutter season and of our exterior work.
SUMMER
Storm season
Any time water spills over the edge during a rain, the gutters need attention. A clogged gutter does not wait for fall, and heavy summer rain shows every blockage.
FALL
After leaves, before freeze
Once the leaves are down, and before the first hard freeze turns wet debris into a solid plug. The timing matters, and that window closes earlier in some years than in others.
WINTER
When gutters freeze solid
Regular gutter cleaning ends with the exterior season on November 15. Winter gutter clearing is included with our steam ice dam removal, which melts the ice instead of chipping it.
Our exterior season runs March 1 through November 15, and fall dates fill quickly. If your trees drop their leaves late, book early and we will plan the date around them.
WHERE WE WORK
Gutter cleaning across the north metro
Glass House is based in Ham Lake and cleans gutters throughout Anoka County and the Twin Cities north metro.
Each city page covers the local conditions that affect your home. The surrounding north metro is served as well, and we travel farther for a small trip fee.
GUTTER QUESTIONS
Gutter cleaning FAQ
How often should gutters be cleaned in Minnesota?
Most north metro homes need gutter cleaning twice a year, in spring and fall. Minnesota's sharp seasonal swings pile debris into gutters faster than in most of the country, and gutters are usually packed full again six months after a cleaning, which surprises many homeowners.
When is the best time in the fall?
After the leaves are down and before the first hard freeze. At MSP, the median date of the first 28°F night is around October 19. Wet debris that freezes in a gutter turns into a solid plug, and meltwater then has nowhere to drain, so the fall window matters.
Do you haul the debris away?
Yes, on every job. All debris is bagged and hauled away with us, so it does not end up in your yard or your trash bin. Walkways, patios, decks and driveways are also left free of anything that fell during the work.
Do you clean the downspouts?
Yes. Every gutter and downspout is flushed after cleaning to confirm it flows, and blockages we can reach are cleared. If water does not come out the bottom of a downspout, there is a clog inside. We never take downspouts or gutter hardware apart, so a deeper clog is located and reported to you.
Can you clean gutters with guards?
Yes, with a blowout or a flush, although we guarantee only the gutter, not the guard itself. We never remove, install or lift guards. In our experience, most guards around here fill with pine needles that must be picked out by hand, and they make cleaning harder rather than easier.
Will cleaning remove the black streaks on my gutters?
No. Gutter cleaning empties the inside of the gutter. The black streaks on the outside face are tiger stripes, carbon residue from the shingles bonded to the aluminum, and they are removed by gutter brightening, a separate service. If the stripes do not come off, there is no charge.
Do you repair gutters?
No. Glass House is a cleaning service, not a repair service. We do not repair or re-pitch gutters, seal leaks, install guards or work on heat cables. If we notice a problem such as a loose hanger or a leaking seam, we photograph it and show you so you can take it to an installer.
What should I do before you come?
Turn on your outside spigot and make sure it is easy to reach, because we flush every gutter and downspout with water. Please also move vehicles out of the driveway so we have clear access to the house, and let us know about any gutter guards or active wasp nests.
